Automatic expansion valve



March 23 1926. 1,578,179

J. L. SHRODE AUTOMATIC EXPANSION VALVE Filed Feb. 21, 1924 gvvuentoz Patented Mai. 23, 1926. 1

m L. snnoim, or groom. vmmon, minors.

aoroma ric EXPANSION VALVE.

A pucanonii ea February 21, 1924. seriai no. team.

To all whom it may cdneei'n: Be it known. that Jornv Mount Vernon, iii-the icounty of Jefferson I and State of Illinois, has invented certa n new and useful Improvements in Automat c Expansion Valves,-of 'whicli tlie following is a specification. J

\ This invention relatesto improvements in. 1 expansion valves such of the liquid. refrigerant, under high pressure, to gaseous form at*' a comparatively low pressure.

of such valves, the

parts are so constructed and arranged that,

dueto expansion of the liquid refrigerant Within the valve proper, the lubricant is congealed and when this occurs it is necessary to thoroughly clean to such a low temperature that atmospheric moisture vwill be condensed and congealed upon the exteriorsurface ofthe valve casing, forming a frosty adrip when the system is the casing is brought to atmospheric temperature. Furthermore, valves parts is such as to the liquid refrigerant within the valve itself,

the high velocity of the gas at the pointof expansion, scores and cuts the valve and seat, causing the valve to leak and prevents the compressor from maintaining the proper pressurev in the low side lo the system. Therefore, the present invention has as one ofits most important objects to provide an expansion valve so constructed that there will be no appreciable expansion of the liqluid refrigerant in its passage through the ve so that none of the disadvantages outlined above will attend the operation of the valve, thereby avoiding the ncessity of repeatedly cleaning the valve of congealed lubricant, obviatin dripping of water from the exterior of the valve casing whet the L. si ngoon, a citizen of tlie*United States, residing at.

as-are employedin' refrigerating systems in effecting expansion Such valves as ordinarily constructed present'various disadvantages. in most types 'in valvesof this [refrigerant within the valve itself, the casing of the valve is cooled coatin which causes shutdown, and

of this type where the construction and arrangement of permit of expansion of vide a valve "corrode or be'lll any wayaffected b system has been shutdown, and obviating freezing of" moisture in the valve casing above the diaphragm wh'chiwould cause sticking of-the valve.

. Another object of construct the valve thatexpansion may be effected at any desired distance from thevalve, thereby liminating the cutting and seat are ordinarily subjected.

the invention is to so scoring action to which thevalve and its Another importantob1ect of the invention is to provide a .novel, form ofvalveflan novelt'ormiof-valve seat, and a novel means for supportingthe valve in operative relation to the seat such thatthe parts may function 'withthe greatest, efficiency and without 'liability of displacement or disarrangement of the parts 'ln valves of this type it has heretofore been customary to manufacture them in dif .ferent' sizes depending upon the size. or capacity of the refrigerating apparatus -in con- 'nection with which the valves are, to be employed. The expense of manufacturing-different sizes [of valves is considerable and the present invention therefore contemplates providing a valve so constructed that discharge tubes having bores of different diand in this manner I' am enabled to employ a standard apparatuses of varying capacities. In this connection the invention also contemplates so mountin the discharge tube that it will be air insu ated, in one form of the inven- .ameters may be substituted one foranother sizeof valve upon refrigerating Q Referring to the accompanyingdrawing, I

the valve casing'is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and the same comprises a. body 2 which is of substantially solid structure; That is to say, the body is not of hollow construction but the necessary passages or ducts formed therein are of minimum size so that expansion within the valve casing will be reduced to the minimum or entirely eliminated. The upper side. of the body 2' ofthe casing is provided with a flat smooth surface 3 upon'wli'ich is disposed an annular packing ring or'gasket? 4 w the peripheral portion of a The numeral '6 indicates in general a bonnet which is removably secured 'by bolts or other suitable fastening elements 7, upon the upper side of the-body 2 of the valve casing, and-between the under face ofwh ich' bonnet and the upper face 3 of the said heral porv is Within the bounds of the packing ring 4 and over which the diaphragm 5 extends.

The under side'of the bonnet -6 is likewise ,provided with a shallow chamber 9 which is y clamped.

mien-1o ich supports indicated by thenuiiieral 33 and being of iaphragm 5. ,frusto-conical -iformu The valve in its entirety is" preferably .formed of the alloyknown commercially stellite. Thisalloy is exceedingly har" and, in fact, so hard that it cannot be achined, and likewise it is non-corrosive. he seat for the valve, which is indicated by the numeral 34', is

-formed of, the same material and is in the I nature of a Hat annular-dischavin a cen: tral opening which is of conical gorm toacc'olfimodate the head of the valve.

The body of the jva lve casing is formed with a v erticall into the Tower en of which there is threaded a nipple 37 having an axial bore '38 in located above the-diaphragm. "The dome of alineinent with the axis of the bore 36, the

'1 bearing disc 15 which rests at its peri'pherat Q portion upon the upper end of a compression 'at its upper end as 031.12, for t with a the bonnet 6; is formed, initis top adjustthreaded opening 10 into which is lower end of the bore 38 being enlarged to receive the valve seat 34 which is shrunk in ex ending axial bore 36 bly h iid d an jgs giscrew 1 formed place. Arranged within the bore 36 is a- 35 a e applicastem 40,t'he,upper end of which stein pro tion of a wrench or other tool whereby it *jects into the chamber 8 and engages the maybe rotated, a lock nut 13 being fit ed, under side of the diaphragm 5 at a point Onto the S s r w n ing adapted vt0 be corresponding to the point of engagement adjusted to .bear against the upper side of (of th convex under side 18 of the the'top of thealonie.v The lower end of the be ring dis 17 with the upner side screw 11? is preferably rounded and seats f th id diaphragm. At a, oi m-,'- between ilI LI' G S 147 fin'l l d in the uppe Side f a its ends, the stem 40 is, reduce in diameter, as indicated) by the numeral 41, and below this, portion and throughout the remainder spring 16 arranged 'w hln he d m not its length, the stem is further reduced. in

-. Thevlower end of the spring 16 rests upon the'bonnet 6.

121, by means'of inents 23, a packing ring or gasket 24'bea bearing disc 17 which-has a convex. under side 18' 'res ing at its central portion upon I 35 the upper s de of the diaphragm 5.

The valve casing body 2 is formed with an inlet duct indicated by the numeral 19,

the discharge end of which duct, indicated by-the-numeral 20, communicates with a chamber 21 formed in the lower side of the ing inter osed between the u 'per side of the cap 'm'emher atthe periphera portion thereof and the under side of the casing'bodyfl2.

The cap member 22 is preferably provided centrally in its 11 per side with a chamber- 25, and, surroun ing this chamber," with'an in standing annular, flan e 26 which seats within the chamber 21;

oused within the chamber 25 is a compression spring 27 which at its lower end seats in a shallow-seat 28 in the bottom'of the chamber 25, and at its inst the under side of a --'valve carrier which: is indicated by the upper end bears a numeral 29'. The valve proper is indicated in general by the numeral 30 and the same comprises a cylindrical stem 31-fitting snug ly in an opening 32 formed centrally in the valve carrier 29, the head'of lthe' valve being (A is se- .E'osition closingthe chamber diameter as in icated'by the numeral42, this last-inc tio ed reduced portion of the stem fitting oosely through the bore 38 of the nipple 37. The stem 40 has a smooth fit With III the bore 36 and is flat on one side so that the refrigerant entering through the intake passage 19, may flow past the Valve 30 'and seat 34 and through the bore 38 and thebore 36 and into the chamber 8 and, under certain conditions, exert pressure;

against the under side of the diaphragm 5.

Formed in the casing body 2 and communicating at end with the bore 36 at apoint substantially opposite the reduced portion 41 of the stem 40, is an outlet bore 43 which is enlarged at its opposite end, as at 44, and interiorly threaded, the bore being further enlarged, as at 45, and the enlargement 45 being of considerable diameter in comparisonto the diameter of the bore 43 and extending from the threaded enlargement 44-to the exterior of the valve casing where it opens to the atmosphere. I The dis-. charge tube of the valveis indicated by the numeral 46 and at one. end is threaded, as indicatedby the numeral 47 thus adapting this end to be removably' fitted 'into the threaded enlargement 44 of the bore 43. Thebmfe oftthe discharge'tube 46 is indi. cated by the numeral 48 and in practice a number of the tubes will be manufactured having bores :of different diameters, it being contemplated that a tube having a bore of a required diameter be threaded into theenlargement 44 of the bore 43 in accordance with the capacity of the refrigerating apparatus, it being possible therefore to substitute one tube for another in a standard size of valve in accordance with the varying capacities of different refrigerating apparatuses. It Willibe observed that the external diameter of the. discharge tube 46 is less than the diameter of the enlargement of the bore 43, so that an air space 49 is .provided surrounding the said tube 46, the air within the space constituting an insulating medium so as. to prevent frosting of .the casing 2 which would otherwise occur, due

to conduction, if the valvecasing should be formed merely with a bore extending from and communicating with the bore 36' and to the atmosphere.

The valve is'automatic in its operation.

In adjusting the valve to permit flow of the liquid refrigerant through the valve to the discharge tube 46, and thence to the point where the refrigerant is permitted to ex- .pand, the screw 11 is adjusted so as to suitably tension the spring 16 and cause the same to exert pressure upon the diaphragm 5, and stem 40, to;move the conical head .33

of-the valve 30 away from the? seat 34. The liquid refrigerant will then flow from theintake bore 19 into the. chamber 21 and past the gvalve head 33 and its seat 34', and through the bore 36, the bore 43, and the bore 48 of the discharge tube 46a The refrigerant will also exert pressure, Within the chamber8,/against the under side of the diaphragm 5 and when the pressure against the underside of the diaphragm becomes greater than that exerted by the spring 16, the spring 27 will act to move the valve carrier 29 upwardly so as to cause v the head 33 of the valve 30 to rest in its seat 34 thus cutting off the supply of refrigerant until such time as the suction of. the pump of the refrigerating systein has reduced the pres- 5? sure on the lower face of the diaphragm 5 'to a degree less than that exerted by the spring 16, whereupon the said spring will act to again open the valveiand permit the refrigerant to flow as before. This automatic operation of the valve Will continue so long as the system is in operation and it fluid through thecasing from the inlet passage to the outlet passage, said outlet passage having its intermediate portion threaded, its inner end portion of materially less dian-leter than the threaded intermediate portion and-from the said intermediate portion to its outer end of materially increased diameter, said ,intermediate portion "constituting a socket whereby discharge .tubes of a common external diameter and of varying internal diameters maybe selectively passed through the enlarged outer portion of said outlet passage in spacedre lzition to the walls thereof and screwed into said socket.

2. An expansion valve of the class described comprising a casing having an inlet passage and an-outlet passage, and a valve withinv said casing to control passage of fluid through the/casing from the inlet passage to theoutlet passage, said outlet passage having its intermediate portion of materially greater diameter than its inner end portion and of materially less diameter than the portion of the outlet between itsouter end and intermediate portion, said intermediate portion of the outlet constituting a socket, and discharge tubes extending axially through the enlarged outerportion of said outlet in spaced relation to the walls thereof andwhaving its inner end portion removably secured in said socket.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature.

K JOHN L. sHRoDE. [1,. 5. 

